2006 Vintner Select Cabernet Sauvignon

Clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon from our Carolyn’s vineyard block was ripened to perfection by the warm Indian Summer of late 2006. Grapes were fermented in stainless steel vats and aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, of which 50% were new. The second vintage of our Vintner Select Cabernet Sauvignon presents supple blueberry and jammy black raspberry tones complemented by sweet vanilla and mocha spice. Possessing an unctuous mid-palate with lingering notes of black raspberry liqueur, this wine finishes with fully ripe tannins that leave no doubt to its mountain top upbringing.

Appellation:

Napa Valley

Vintage:

2006

Harvest:

October 2006

Fermentation:

Stainless Steel

Cooperage:

French Oak

Blend:

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol:

15.2%

Bottling:

July 2008

Production:

624 cases

Release Date:

November 2008

Price:

$85.00

Reviews

Connoisseurs' Guide: April 2009

Rating: 92

This wine is very much geared to ripeness, but is also brimming with intense, keenly defined offering fruit and is unstinting in rich oak. True to the winery norm, it is big, deep and dramatic, and it is not one that is likely to be embraced by those looking for refinement and grace. It is at once both lush and very well-balanced and will prove a certain delight for fans of expressive, highly concentrated, California Cabernet Sauvignon, and its fine spine of structural tannins guarantees a lengthy and increasingly complex future.

The Wine Advocate: December 2008 Issue 180

Rating: 90

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner’s Select exhibits a dark ruby/purple color in addition to notes of charcoal, toasty oak, creme de cassis, and vanillin. This full-bodied, dense, elegant but substantial effort possesses silky tannins and a long finish. Sadly, there are only 500 cases of this beauty.

Wine Spectator: Web Only

Wine Enthusiast: June 2009

Rating: 96

What a fine, beautiful wine this is. Shows every graceful aspect of a modern Napa Cab, from the perfectly ripened fruit to the unbelievably fine tannins and application of oak. Thrills the mouth with decadently rich black currants, creme de cassis, milk chocolate, anise and cedar flavors, but never loses an impeccable sense of balance and control. Best now, even without decanting, and through 2014.

#59 ON THE WINE ENTHUSIAST TOP 100 WINES OF 2009

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: May/June 2009 Issue 144

Rating: 91

Good bright medium ruby. Dark berries, mocha, bitter chocolate and tobacco on the nose. Sweet and velvety on entry, then round and sweet in the middle, with supple plum and berry flavors complicated by flowers and dried herbs. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins that avoid coming off as aggressive. "Our feminine cabernet" notes Steve Pride, adding that it comes from a block very close to the merlot used for the Vintner Select Cuvee.

California Grapevine: April/May 2009

Rating: 91

Medium-dark ruby color; attractive, forward, spicy, cassis and red berry fruit aroma with hints of vanilla and green olive; full body; big, rough, textured, cedary, berry fruit flavors with good depth and intensity; full tannin; somewhat harsh and chalky on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Needs a good several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

Alan Duran’s Periodic Review of Bordeaux: Volume 14

Rating: 95

Another top-notch offering in this vintage. The deeply-rimmed, garnet purple colored Pride Mountain delivers some impressively complex aromas of candied-blueberry, flower, cassis, mushroom, wet-stone notes, and savories. Remarkably flavorful, full-bodied, dense, and luxurious in its delivery of richness and long flavors. This distinguished 2006 boasts searing mulberry, cassis, and blueberry, with a broad finish requiring substantial cellaring due to the density and tannin. Wow, there is much to this Pride Mountain! Maturity period 2014-2033.

The Wine Advocate: December 2009 Issue 186

Rating: 95

A fabulous effort, the opaque purple-hued 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner’s Select (last year-s review was for the 2005, not the 2006) is super-rich in texture, fruit, and depth. A big, mountain-styled Cabernet with sweet tannin and lots of personality as well as potential, it should evolve for at least 10-15 years.